Drunken Confessions
by NemKess
Summary: warnings: mild language, shonen ai, fluff. In the light of day, will Omi's drunken confessions destroy his friendship with the man he loves? Edit: I raised the fic rating. I hadn't realized it was set as low as it was. Sorry!
1. Default Chapter

Title: Drunken Confessions  
Ran  
Author/pseudonym: NemKess  
Fandom: Weiss Kreuz  
Pairing: Ran/Omi  
Rating: PG13  
Status: 1 of 2  
E-mail address for feedback:: nemsmuses@msn.com  
  


Disclaimers: Omi and Ran belong to me? I could only wish. Nope, not mine. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is made. This is purely to silence the voices in my head. ^_^

  
Notes: As Ashura pointed out, Drunken!Omi is **so** cute. I'd like to thank her for helping the plot along over AIM. Please forgive any misspellings, I have no WK beta besides the spell-check on my compy and it has weird ideas about how things should be spelt.   
  
Summary: A phone call from a bartender will change Ran's life.   
Warnings: shonen ai.. Probably OOCness some mild cussing. FLUFF. POSSIBLE SUGAR SHOCK.

When the sound of a phone rang through the apartment above the little flower shop called the Koneko, the three occupants stopped what they were doing and looked at it dumbly. 

It was far too late for anyone to be calling- anyone with good news, that is. 

So it was with caution that Ken picked up the cordless that was laying on the coffee table. "Uh.. Moshi, Moshi?" His older companions watched as a bemused expression crossed the soccer player's face and he held the phone out to Aya. "She wants Fujimiya Ran." 

Despite the knowledge that Aya wasn't the redhead's real name, only Omi ever actually called him Ran. Everyone else kept forgetting and he'd finally decided that Aya was acceptable, preferred even over the Ai-uh-er-Ran that everyone had stuttered out for the first few weeks. 

Staring at the phone as if it were an asp waiting to strike, he reached out hesitantly and took the phone from his younger comrade.

"Hello?"

"Fujimiya Ran?" He winced at the loud voice. Music was playing in the background and the woman seemed to be trying to speak over it.

"Who wants to know?" There was something about just casually dropping his name over a possibly unsecured line that made him twitchy. Weiss was currently on a hiatus, waiting for things to be sorted out within Kritiker ranks, but that didn't mean their enemies weren't still out there waiting to pounce.

Swartz was still out there and possibly Schrient as well, though Manx was fairly certain the female assassins were all dead. 

Manx had been wrong before, and now, with Kritiker all but crippled, the chances of it happening again were much higher.

"Hey, I'm not collecting money or anything, if that's what you're thinking. I'm a bartender at the Tiki Room.. It's a club on Fifth Street. I've got a young man here that's had way too much to drink. He gave me your name and number and said you'd give him a ride, Fujimiya-san."

Ran pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it in shock for a moment before putting it back so he could respond. "Uh.. I don't suppose you got a name?"

Though it was muffled, as if the woman had covered up the receiver, he had no trouble deciphering the hollered question. "Hey kid! You got a name?" An indistinct shout could be heard and the bartender was on again. "Says his name is Omi.. or.. Omittchi.. I can't really tell."

With a sigh, the moody assassin ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Okay. You're on Fifth?"

"Hai! It shouldn't be too hard to find, our sign is the bright neon orange and purple one with the dancing parrots."

"I'll be there in 15. Maybe less."

"Cool. I'll let him know and keep him here." 

"Th-" His response was cut off by the sound of the dial-tone. "anks.." Handing the phone back to Ken, he jogged up to his room to grab his keys and wallet, completely ignoring the baffled looks of his teammates. 

"Aya, who was that?"

"Yeah, come on, give already."

He continued to ignore them until a thought occurred to him. He'd never seen Omi drunk- not once in the three years they'd been partnered together. He didn't know how the younger man would act, but he was sure that he wouldn't want the others to see it. He would take the younger man somewhere else to recover from this night's binge. "I'm going out. Don't wait up."

"But Aya! Wait-"

The closed door cut them off and he smirked a bit as he imagined the indignant looks on their faces. Youji got on his nerves so badly so frequently that he couldn't help but take a little juvenile pleasure in it whenever he managed to return the favor. 

All levity was pushed aside as he got in his car and pulled out. He couldn't help but worry about Omi. What could be so bad that the boy had found it necessary to try and drown his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle? He hadn't needed to do so after finding out he was the son of scum like Takatori, killing his brothers, or even losing his half sister within minutes of 'finding' her. The first break up of Weiss hadn't been handled well, but it had been handled with sobriety.

Ran had finally admitted recently, to himself at least, that Omi mattered to him. He wasn't sure how or why, but the ever-smiling chibi had managed to worm his way to his heavily concealed and guarded heart. And yes, contrary to Yoji's insistences otherwise, he did have a heart. Sakura had found it on virtue of reminding him of his sister. Once she'd understood that, she'd contented herself with the knowledge that she was a surrogate sister and had no problems taking advantage of that. 

Much to the amusement of his teammates, he'd found himself being forced to listen to sister like babble about boys, school, and getting drug around on.. horror of all horrors... shopping trips. 

Similarly, he found himself putting up with all manner of things from Omi. Helping out with homework when it was needed, 'hanging out' together- even though he'd never been particularly adept at socializing even **before** he'd become an assassin-, offering a shoulder when the other was upset. 

But his feelings for the two, while similar, were still very different. For one thing, he had never felt the urge to throw Sakura down on a bed and kiss her senseless and worse (or better, depending on your point of view).

He pushed the thoughts away as he turned onto 5th. Slowing down, he scanned both sides of the street as he drove.

The bartender had been right.

You really couldn't miss their sign. The neon sign was quite large and featured two purple parrots wearing odd hats. The lights were flashing, in an apparent attempt to make them look like they were dancing. In bright orange, it declared itself 'The Tiki Room'. 

Finding parking was a bit more difficult, but soon enough he was standing at the door getting his hand stamped by an exceptionally large bouncer.

Inside the room is crowded, but he doesn't have to search for his quarry. He can hear where Omi is. The drunken chibi has somehow convinced himself that singing onstage would be a **good **idea. 

The only problem was, Omi couldn't carry a tune. At all. Or keep rhythm. He was honestly the worst singer that Ran had ever heard.

Not that the audience seemed to mind. When his young friend tried to stumble off the stage, they stopped him, calling out for more. Relieved to note that the teen didn't seem to be upset or anything, the redhead took a long minute to scan the crowd for any hostile looking faces before he was content to sit back and let him have a little more fun before taking him away from the karaoke bar.

Omi giggled and said something to the dj. With a nod and a grin, the man quickly had something fast and loud playing.

_Kimi ni aitai yukitai Ikareteru BRAKE wa tomaranai mou dare ga tometemo.._

With a wince, Ran turned and made his way over to the bar. Alcohol did not seem to have any positive affect on the blonde's singing. 

_jyoushiki no FENSU ni buchi ataru tabi ni...... tsuyokunaru kara kabe o nori koete kasoku suru _

_I CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU_

There was only one stool left along the bar counter and as he saw one gothic looking ... creature... look like.... it.. was about to sit down, he let his features slip down into his Abyssian Scowl of Death, as Youji had once called it jokingly. 

_kokoro kara suki da to ii kireru dare ka ni_

Whatever. What mattered was that it worked. The Goth held up ...its hands in a peaceful gesture and backed up quickly, not turning... its back to Ran until there were a significant number of clubbers between them.

_ nandemo deaeru darou?_

The redhead smirked and sat down.

_ Isshun no jinsei kimochi o nuritsubusu.... hima wa nai hazuda ze_

There were two bartenders, but only one of them was female. Curly red hair fell past her shoulders and he understood her odd accent over the phone as she alternately called out to the customers in Japanese and in English. Sheesh, a foreigner, he thought. 

_ hima wa nai hazuda ze_

He caught the woman's eye and waved her over. Then he turned slightly, so that he could watch Omi and still keep an eye for when she made her way to his end of the bar.

_hijyousen o tsuki yabutte SAIREN ga nattatte...... modoranai furikaeranai_

What the chibi lacked in skill, he made up for in enthusiasm and a cuteness that shouldn't have been sexy and yet was somehow. Watching him alternately bounce and glide around the stage as much as the microphone and small space allowed, Ran had to smile. It wasn't hard to see why everyone was allowing their ears to be assaulted just so that they could enjoy the image he made. Skin tight leather pants rode Omi's hips and Ran was sure that the abbreviated black crop top had been pilfered from Yoji's closet. The resultant expanse of bare skin and clearly outlined shapeliness had the redhead shifting uncomfortably as his own jeans suddenly seemed too constricting.

_kimi no soba ni yukitai itoshisa no ACCEL fumi nagara.... AH ude o nobashite_

_ tachiirikinshi no mirai demo kitto suberikomun da...... kimi no me o mitsume tsugerunda I CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU_

For a long moment, Ran allowed himself the fantasy that Omi was singing about him... to him... But shook the thought off as he noticed the bartender sidle up, finally.

"Gorgeous partner you've got there, even if he can't carry a tune." He gave her an alarmed look. Omi had gotten drunk enough to blurt out what they were?! She smiled and waved her hand in the air, seemingly oblivious to the nature of his sudden tension. "Oh, don't be jealous! We're all just enjoying the view, no one's going to try and take him from you."

It took a second for understanding to dawn, but when it did, Ran could feel the heat flush his cheeks a red that he knew probably rivaled his hair. Luckily, the mutli-colored strobe light would cover it.. For the most part.

_daremo mina jibun no iru bashou o sagashite.... hashiri tsuzukeru kedo_

She laughed merrily and handed over a familiar set of keys. It was only as he took them, that it occurred to Ran to wonder how she knew he was here to pick up Omi. "How do you know I'm the one here to pick him up?"

With an impish grin, she pulled a wallet from under the counter. "He's spent the last couple of hours alternating between singing up on the stage and sitting over here telling me all about you." She flipped the wallet open and his own face was staring up at him. He recognized the picture. It was actually cut out from a larger picture that Omi had taken of Ken, Youji, Manx, and Ran back in the early days of Weiss. He knew that if the rest of the picture were there, the smirk picture Ran wore would have been aimed at a pained Youji who'd had his foot pinned by Manx's high heels.

He took the wallet and pulled the picture out. It was time worn and looked like any well-loved wallet photo would, creases along the edges, a few splotchy spots that might have been tear-stains. 

Had Omi had the picture all this time?

_Ore wa itsumo kimi to itai hokano doko ittatte... taiyou noboranaisa_

Ran turned back and looked at his friend, and somehow, it felt like he was seeing the young man for the first time.

"I wish I had a guy who loved me that much," the woman said, a wistful note in her voice.

_kimi o dakishimetai yo kono mune no KLAXON tomaranai..... AH kimi o motomete_

Obviously he and Omi had a lot to talk about. With this new bit of information, the swordsman finally noticed what he'd missed all these years. The hint of wistfullness in Omi's voice, the way the younger assassin always seemed to gravitate towards him no matter where they were or what they were doing. 

_ setsuna sa no SUPEEDO wa genkai sunzen hi o fukisousa_

And the things he had noticed, he finally understood. Why out of everyone, it was Ran's opinion that had been the only one that mattered when they'd found out about Omi's parentage. Why it was the more reserved man that he turned to for comfort when Ouka had died rather than the others. 

_ kabe o buchi yaburu jounetsu de I CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU_

Slow down, he thought to himself. He didn't know anything for certain. And until he heard it straight from Omi's own lips, Ran wouldn't let himself believe it. It was too fantastic a thought that his desire was returned.

He caressed the worn edges of the picture before slipping it back into it's former resting place and considered that perhaps it might even be more than just lust.. For both of them.

_Kimi ni aitai yukitai Ikareteru BRAKE wa tomaranai_

Quickly deciding that Omi had had enough karaoke, Ran stood and was about to make his way over to the stage when the woman stopped him.

"He hasn't paid his tab yet," she called.

He made a face and pulled his own wallet out as he turned back around. Fishing out his credit card, he dropped it on the counter. "How much?"

_ mou dare ga tometemo_

Rather than answer, she just held out the pad it was marked on.

The redhead's jaw dropped and the card slipped out of suddenly numb fingers. She caught it with a grin and slid it through the strip on the register. 

_ jyoushiki no FENSU ni buchi ataru tabi ni_

Ran's mouth snapped closed and he signed the receipt before turning and pushing through the crowd towards the genki little guzzler. Omi **so** owed him for this.

_ jyoushiki no FENSU ni buchi ataru tabi ni... tsuyokunaru kara...... kabe o nori koete kasoku suru I CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU!!!_

He reached the stage just as Omi belted out the last lines and twirled around in a pirouette. Or attempted to, anyways. The normally graceful assassin seemed to have forgotten that the microphone had a cord and managed to get himself all tangled up. He nearly fell in a giggling heap, but the dj was close enough to grab him from behind and detangled him quickly.

The dj never knew how close he came from being mincemeat as his hands lingered in places they had no business lingering and he flirted shamelessly. Only Omi's squeal of "Ran!" and the fact that the redhead suddenly had his arms full of drunken chibi saved the man from dismemberment.

The sudden weight of his partner had nearly toppled them over. One of the benefits of such a crowded place, he thought. It was damn hard to fall.

Omi wrapped both arms around Ran's neck and dangled there for a moment before scrabbling around to get his legs similarly around the older man's waist as well.

Ran's own arms came up and around the blonde's lithe body before he was even aware of it. His brain seemed to be stuck on the fact that there was an incredibly sexy, incredibly attractive, incredibly **warm** body pressed quite intimately against his own. It couldn't quite remember the last time such an occurrence had been more than a fantasy and was determined to enjoy it for a moment. 

"Hey there," Omi said, leaning back to smile up at Ran and nearly pulling them over in the other direction at the same time. Luckily, being an assassin had required all of them to learn to balance even in the most precarious of positions. The redhead had to shift a little, but was able to keep them both upright. 

He couldn't help the small smile that quirked at his own lips as he viewed the chibi's inebriated attempt at a come hither look. "Hey yourself."

For some reason that set the boy off. He pulled back in close to Ran's chest and giggled uncontrollably. Bearing it stoically, Ran turned and felt his face flame again as he realized that everyone in the club was watching them. 

He tried to stare them all down with an Abyssian Scowl of Death, but found it an impossible expression to maintain as the body against his own wiggled again, sending sparks of pleasure radiating through him. It probably didn't help that the head resting on his shoulder had turned inward and Omi was currently licking his way around the collar bone and neck.

The alcohol may not have improved Omi's singing, but apparently it **had** completely demolished any inhibition or sense of decorum that the normally level headed teen had.

Ran finally settled for simply plowing through the crowd. The sooner he got the chibi out of there, the better. Maybe the cold air outside would sober him up some. With luck, it would at least help the taller of the pair control his painful hard on a little.

The bartender met him at the door with Omi's coat and a huge grin plastered on her face. "Have fun!" she called out over the music that had started back up. 

Omi let go of Ran's neck long enough to wiggle his fingers at her in a cheery farewell. "Ja ne!"

Once they'd made it outside, the redhead tried to put his stowaway down, but Omi was having none of it. The slim arms and legs that were wrapped around him tightened almost painfully. "Omi-" He stopped himself before the protest left his lips. Considering the amount of alcohol he'd just paid for, he seriously doubted that the one who'd drank it all would be able to get far on his own two legs. Might as well carry him, he thought with a sigh. Besides, it was hardly a huge imposition. "Not so tight, please."

Understanding that he wasn't going to be pushed off, Omi loosened up his hold a little and settled for snuggling as close as he could get without cutting off Ran's oxygen supply. 

Getting into the car proved to be something of a challenge. He finally had to resort to tickling to get Omi to let go and get into the car. 

Ran ignored the glare that was directed his way as he pulled out. "That wasn't very nice." Omi's words were spoken slowly with careful attention paid to each syllable. The redhead got the idea that if they'd been spoken any faster, they'd have probably been slurred beyond all comprehension.

"When am I ever nice?"

The glare melted into a dreamy look as his passenger leaned over towards him.

"You're always nice to me," came the soft reply.

It was a patently untrue statement, of course. Ran couldn't even begin to keep count of all the times he hadn't been even moderately polite or considerate of his friend, never mind actually **nice**. Still, the chibi tended to be too forgiving and overlooked such things even when he was sober. He could hardly be expected to even remember them in his current condition.

Before he could comment one way or the other, there was a soft rustling noise and quite suddenly a blonde head had thumped down on his arm. The car swerved wildly and Ran took a moment to thank whoever might be listening that there wasn't much traffic so late at night. By the time he'd managed to get everything back under control, Omi's head had slid down to rest against his leg. 

The younger assassin made a kittenish noise and shifted uncomfortably, but his eyes were closed and his breathing was even.

Ran sighed and then smiled faintly. One pale hand left the steering wheel and buried itself in the golden locks that were spread across his thigh.

They remained in that position until he managed to find a small motel that wouldn't break him completely. By that time, his leg had gone partially numb, but he didn't really care. 

It had felt nice to have Omi resting against him.

The receptionist at the desk was absorbed in some late night sitcom and didn't even look at him as he paid for a room and took the key. 

In no time at all, he was awkwardly lifting his companion out of the car and heading towards the room. Opening the door was difficult to do with Omi in his arms, but he eventually managed it with a little judicious use of an upraised knee. 

It was kicked shut as soon as he was through it. 

Slight as the teen was, his body was more muscle than not and he was unconscious dead weight to boot. Ran's arms were much relieved when he finally sat Omi down onto the sole bed in the room.

With quick efficiency, he stripped his partner down, blushing when a distinct lack of underclothing was revealed.

He cursed his fair skin under his breath. He'd blushed more in one night than he had in all the time he'd been with Weiss! If Youji had seen it, he'd never have let him live it down. 

Thankfully, that was one thing he didn't have to worry about.

Forcing his thoughts back on the task at hand, Ran tucked the chibi under the blankets and went to get a bucket of ice.

When he got back, the softly snoring figure on the bed hadn't moved an inch.

He put the ice on the nightstand beside the bed and filled a glass up with water in the bathroom. Omi would probably be thirsty when he woke up. 

A quick check around the room and to make sure the door was as secured as it was going to get and Ran had done all he could possibly do for the moment. Satisfied, he stripped out of his own clothes, careful to leave his boxers on, and slipped into the bed.

Like some sort of homing pigeon, Omi immediately rolled over and snuggled into his side. "Ran?" Cerulean eyes blinked up at him, more asleep than awake.

"Yeah?" His voice was quiet, hardly more than a whisper, as he brushed the blonde locks back.

"Love you."

His heart clinched painfully for a moment. Then it eased, leaving him feeling more peaceful than he'd felt in years. 

He leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Omi's forehead. When he pulled back, he could tell that his bedmate was already slipping back into dreams.

Rather than give a reply that wouldn't be heard or remembered even if it was, Ran wrapped his arms around the young man and drew him as close as he could. 

For the moment, it was enough.

~*~*~

Author's Notes:

The idea of a drunken Omi confessing his feelings and then leaving Ran one very frustrated man by passing out on him has been lingering in my mind for a while. I didn't actually decide to write it down until I heard Ashura was having a crappy day that turned into a crappy week. After which, I was quite determined to try and cheer her up. Which is undoubtedly why this is more fluffy and sappy than frustrating.  
I did not make Omi sick to his stomach at any point in this. That would be because I loosely based his inebriated state on how I occasionally get when I imbibe too much. I do not get sick... I just make an utter fool out of myself.  
As this fic got longer and longer, I finally decided to just split it into two. The night from Ran's pov, the morning after from Omi's. ^_^   


_The Music  
_I had originally intended to use 'Romantic Soldier' from the YuYu Hakusho Best Vocal Collection, but I couldn't find my cd and I couldn't remember the beat well enough to know if it was too slow for my purpose or not. So I pulled out my Gravi cds and figured that this song would do both in words (Omi's thinking about Ran after all, as he sings) as well as being long enough and fast enough. And yes, I realize that Breaking Through actually starts out a lot slower than I portray it, but I figure it still works. ^_^

Breaking Through by Bad Luck (Gravitation)

_Kimi ni aitai yukitai Ikareteru BRAKE wa tomaranai  
mou dare ga tometemo  
jyoushiki no FENSU ni buchi ataru tabi ni  
tsuyokunaru kara  
kabe o nori koete kasoku suru I CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU_

I want to go falling in love with you; even a furious brake won't stop this,  
no matter who (tries to) stop me now.  
Since it gets stronger every time I hit and am hit by the borders of common sense,  
I'll climb over the wall and speed up; I can't stop lovin' you.

_kokoro kara suki da to ii kireru dare ka ni  
nandemo deaeru darou?  
Isshun no jinsei kimochi o nuritsubusu  
hima wa nai hazuda ze_

To declare "I love you" to someone from the heart --  
how often can that happen by chance?  
A moment of a person's life can't be enough time  
to paint over those feelings.

_hijyousen o tsuki yabutte SAIREN ga nattatte  
modoranai furikaeranai_

I break through the cordon, and the siren sounds;  
I won't go back, I won't look back at all...

_kimi no soba ni yukitai itoshisa no ACCEL fumi nagara  
AH ude o nobashite  
tachiirikinshi no mirai demo kitto suberikomun da  
kimi no me o mitsume tsugerunda I CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU_

I want to go be near you; while I'm stepping on the accelerator of treasuring   
you,  
ah, stretch out your arms.  
Even if the future says "No trespassing," I'll surely sneak into it.  
Gazing into your eyes, I'll tell you: I can't stop lovin' you.

_daremo mina jibun no iru bashou o sagashite  
hashiri tsuzukeru kedo_

Everyone, no matter who, searches for their own place to be and  
keeps on running, but

_Ore wa itsumo kimi to itai hokano doko ittatte  
taiyou noboranaisa_

as for me, I always want to be with you; there's no other place  
where the sun will rise for me.

_kimi o dakishimetai yo kono mune no KLAXON tomaranai  
AH kimi o motomete  
setsuna sa no SUPEEDO wa genkai sunzen hi o fukisousa  
kabe o buchi yaburu jounetsu de I CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU_

I want to hold you; the claxon of my heart won't be stopped,  
ah, I'm searching for you.  
The speed of suffering is past the limit; like a burst of flame  
I hit the wall and smash through in passion; I can't stop loving you.

_Kimi ni aitai yukitai Ikareteru BRAKE wa tomaranai  
mou dare ga tometemo  
jyoushiki no FENSU ni buchi ataru tabi ni  
tsuyokunaru kara  
kabe o nori koete kasoku suru I CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU_

I want to go falling in love with you; even a furious brake won't stop this,  
no matter who (tries to) stop me now.  
Since it gets stronger every time I hit and am hit by the borders of common sense,  
I'll climb over the wall and speed up; I can't stop lovin' you.


	2. The Morning After

Title: Drunken Confessions:  
The Morning After- Omi  
Author/pseudonym: NemKess  
Fandom: Weiss Kreuz  
Pairing: Ran/Omi  
Rating: PG13  
Status: 2 of 2  
E-mail address for feedback:: nemsmuses@msn.com  
  


Disclaimers: Omi and Ran belong to me? I could only wish. Nope, not mine. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is made. This is purely to silence the voices in my head. ^_^

  
Notes: As Ashura pointed out, Drunken!Omi is **so** cute. And even Ran can't resist Hungover!Omi. ^_^ I'd like to thank her for helping the plot along over AIM. Please forgive any misspellings, I have no WK beta besides the spell-check on my compy and it has weird ideas about how things should be spelt. (Actually, I do have a WK beta now, I just haven't handed this over to be looked at yet. ^_^;;)  
  
Summary: In the light of day, will Omi's drunken confessions destroy his friendship with the man he loves?   
Warnings: shonen ai.. Probably OOCness some mild cussing. 

~*~*~

A lifetime spent as an assassin had seen to it that the young man known as Tsukiyono Omi had been injured far more seriously and with greater frequency than your average person. 

He couldn't even begin to count how many of those times he'd also woken up in more dire straits than he'd been in when he'd passed out.

It was probably in the evil codebook. Find a wounded enemy, nab him and use him for experimentation or torture purposes.

He'd learned the hard way that when he came to consciousness feeling like he'd been hit by a bus, it was a pretty good idea to not let on you were conscious until you were damn sure about where you were and who was or wasn't with you.

And while Omi was sure that he'd certainly woken up feeling worse, at that particular moment he was having a hard time remembering such an instance. It was all he could do to hold back the distressed whimper that threatened to escape as he was thrust quite suddenly and painfully into the waking world.

For several long minutes, he concentrated on regulating his breathing while trying to force his way through the blinding pain and dizziness in his skull. 

What the ** hell** had happened?

The last thing he remembered with anything approaching clarity was Ouka's mother. Her restaurant was hosting a small party and needed flowers. He wasn't sure how she'd found the new location of the Koneko, but hadn't cared. They'd talked while he set up the decorations. About Ouka. About his mother. The quiet woman had apparently been around from the beginning, loving Reiji in spite of his cruelty and his marriage, and though she could offer no insight into the man's reasons for never even trying to save him after he'd been kidnapped, she'd been a veritable fount of knowledge about the rest of his family.

The amnesiac teen had soaked it all up like a sponge. For hours they'd talked, she patiently answering all the questions his busy little brain could come up with. Questions about Shuichi and Ouka. His parents. His siblings. She'd even told him about his grandfather who was apparently still alive, although she advised him not to seek the old man out. 

He remembered finishing up, waving goodbye, and setting off for home.

As happy as he'd been to fill in some of the holes in his memory, it had been a bit much to take in. And as he'd entered the new Koneko to find the others discussing the current Kritiker situation with Manx... well, he'd reached the end of his tether.

There was a vague recollection of being completely overwhelmed with the knowledge that this was all he had. 

Manx and Weiss were it for him; and while that was fine, he was happy with them, he knew that it could end in a second. He'd lost Ouka within minutes of finding out about their true relationship. The rest of his family had been lost to him the moment he'd opened his eyes to see Persia standing over him in that run down warehouse so many years ago. 

And now the family he'd made for himself- because Weiss was **his** baby, **his** creation, each member **his** choice- was being threatened.

He'd ignored that family and snatched some clubbing clothes, bound and determined to pretend for one night at least, that nothing was wrong. That he was a normal teen that did normal things.

And that's where his memory started to fuzz out. He recalled flashes of bright lights. A pretty redhead with a soothing accent. Something sweet. **Lots ** of something sweet.

Snuggling closer to his warm pillow, he tried to sort through the menagerie of disjointed images. It was hard to concentrate though when it felt like your brain was about to ooze out your ear and the steady 'thump.. thump' under his ear wasn't helping.

_Wait a second...._

His eyes darted back and forth under his lids as he tried to make his brain work well enough to understand that. Pillows could be warm if pressed close to a body all night long, but they usually never got quite **that** warm. And under no circumstances did they make noises. 

Trying to remember the day before was abandoned in favor of trying to figure out the here and now. 

It finally edged into his awareness that his 'pillow' was actually a person. He was lying half on top of someone larger than himself, his head resting on a flat chest, one of his legs nudged between his bedmate's and his arms wrapped around a slim waist. 

The other male snuffled faintly and pulled him into a tighter embrace.

The warm silky feel of skin on skin told him that he was completely nude and that his bedmate was very nearly the same. 

Omi hoped that the presence of the boxers meant that he hadn't done anything too foolish the night before. Gods, Youji would never let him live it down if he had to confess he'd gone out and had sex with a complete stranger. And Ran! He couldn't bear the thought of seeing the disapproval he knew he deserved in Ran's eyes.

Cautiously, he opened one eye to the barest slit only to shut it again as the world around him spun disconcertingly. After his head steadied, he tried again, this time with slightly more success. The skin under his nose was a pale alabaster and he frowned faintly before easing his head upwards so that he could see his companion's face.

For a long moment, he stared at the blood red locks of hair without recognition. 

Then, quite suddenly, his brain caught up with what his eyes were trying to tell him and he jerked back, tumbling off the comfortable bed and onto the hard floor.

Everything was spinning again and the pounding in his head reached its crescendo. Omi thought he was going to be sick. He was only vaguely aware of the soft voice and the movement of the figure on the bed as he curled into a fetal position clutching his head and whimpering pathetically. 

Gentle hands smoothed his hair back before moving under his body to lift him back onto the bed.

"Omi? Are you all right? How do you feel?"

If anyone else had asked him such a stupid question, he might have snarled and bitten at them. Or tried to anyways. As it was, he could barely find the strength or will power to crack open one eye and glare balefully at the concerned face above him. 

"How the fuck do I look like I feel?" he rasped out, though it ended up sounding more like "Rr.r.. rgg.. uff... flll.."

Violet eyes softened minutely and Ran leaned out of his line of sight for a moment before returning to it with a glass of water. "Drink it."

Obediently, Omi cracked open his lips and nearly drowned himself trying to drink. The redhead chuckled before shifting them both around so that he was leaning back against the headboard with Omi mostly upright against his chest. Then he helped the younger man sip at the water in the cup until it was all gone. 

When it was empty, Ran put the glass back on the nightstand while Omi rested against the strong body. He was drawing a complete blank as to how he'd ended up in a motel room with the object of not only his affections, but of every wet dream he'd ever had. 

Maybe he had died and this was both heaven **and** hell. An eternity of pain was his punishment for the murders he'd committed and an eternity of a gentle Ran-spirit was his reward for doing it with good intentions.

"M'I dead?" The slurred question was out of his mouth before the thought had fully registered in his mind. 

One of the gentle hands was back in his hair, petting it, smoothing the straggly locks back. The other made soothing circles on his naked back. "Not unless we both are."

Which didn't really answer his question. It was entirely possible that Ran **was** dead as well and that **his** eternal punishment was to have to baby-sit a hung over Omi.

He gave up thinking about it. His brain hurt as it was and the hands stroking his body were leaving some sort of soothing magic in their wake. It would be easier and require less effort on his part to just ask outright. Besides, he didn't feel dead. Considering the last thing he remembered was going out to a club, then how he'd come to feel like complete crap was pretty much a given. 

"Wha' hapn'd?" 

"You got very drunk."

"D'uh." Mr. Obvious strikes again. Even he had managed to figure that much out. He was more worried about whether or not he'd completely humiliated himself. And since Ran's presence seemed to indicate that he'd gone and given up the secret he kept closest to his heart, then he really wanted to know what kind of reaction it had garnered.

They'd been in bed together, but Omi wasn't getting the vibe that they'd done more than sleep. So.. Had his suit been accepted or rejected? Was Ran still here, helping him, because of the pathetic sight he probably made? Was it just one of those rare 'friend' moments the redhead allowed himself? Or... Or could Ran possibly return his feelings? 

His breath caught at the very idea, though he pushed away as quickly as it had come.

The chances were.... astronomical.. No matter **what** Sakura said. And he certainly hoped he hadn't let it spill that he and the runner gossiped and giggled.. well... **she ** giggled.... over Ran. Sakura was the only other person who really understood his feelings and they'd become good friends since she'd found out the truth about all of them.

She'd been urging him to speak up and tell the redhead for weeks... Somehow he didn't think this was what she meant.

One slender hand patted his hair gently. "I didn't think you'd want Youji or Ken to see you like... that. So we came here."

Like.. that... Like what? He was still drawing a blank, but Ran was probably right. He nodded lightly, stopping with a wince as it sent pain rocketing around his skull. Omi lifted a hand to his temple. Gods.. This **had** to be hell. It's only as his fingers come in contact with something stiff in his hair line that Omi realized that he really, really needed a shower.

"Bath?" he managed to croak out.

The throaty chuckle rumbled underneath his ear. "No, there's only a shower. Do you think you can stand up long enough?"

Omi grumbled discontentedly against Ran's skin. It was highly doubtful that he could even make it to his feet on his own, never mind stand in a hot shower for any length of time.

There was a long silence as Omi resigned himself to having to be sticky and smelly. Then, quite suddenly, Ran pushed him over and stood. The move had his head spinning and wasn't helped at all when the older man reached down and, with a grunt of effort, scooped him up.

He had to clutch one hand over his mouth and fight to keep his stomach down where it belonged. Eyes closed tightly, he was still fighting the nausea when his friend sat him on the toilet and moved to start the shower. After it settled back down a little, he cracked open an eye to gaze at the nearly naked body in curiosity. Ran always seemed to stay as covered as possible. He was the only person Omi knew who wore turtlenecks and jeans during the summer. 

As his gaze traveled down the tone planes and sculpted lines, he took a moment to mourn that fact. The redhead was denying everyone this viewing pleasure.

His eyes had stopped and lingered on the outline of tight buttocks when Ran turned towards him, mouth opened as if to speak. The older man arched a questioning brow and Omi flushed, looking away quickly.

If only he had a better idea of what had happened. The suspense was killing him. Well, actually... That honor would probably go to the hangover, but the suspense was definitely running a close second!

"Omi?"

Keeping his gaze firmly planted on the tiles of the floor, the blonde ignored Ran's questioning face. His voice, when he spoke was soft and hesitant. He didn't want to ask... but he had to know. "Did... Did I say... or do... anything.. odd last night?"

"You mean besides spending most of the night singing J-pop songs and trying to dance on a karaoke stage?" The humored tone eased Omi's mind a little. Surely if he'd done anything offensive, Ran would be treating him coldly like he did Youji.

He chuckled softly at the image Ran painted. Had he really done that? He didn't remember. "Gods.. How much did I have to drink?" At least he was finally speaking coherent Japanese again, even if his voice was raspy and his head hated him for the noise.

"Between the sake and the White Russians?? A lot." 

There was a vague recollection of the first sake.... It had burned going down so he'd asked for something cold to wash it down with. The pretty redhead behind the bar had offered him a White Russian, said that a friend swore by it as a chaser for hot sake.

Funny... That's about where the memories stopped dead. Maybe mixing alcohols hadn't been such a good idea. 

He silently mourned the hole that must have made in his pocketbook. So much for that new PC game he'd wanted to try out. Omi didn't even realize he'd said that out loud until Ran answered him.

"Don't worry.. Consider your night out on me."

"Eh?" Confused, he peered back up at his friend. 

"I settled your tab while you were onstage." Tone matter-of-fact, as if he was discussing the weather (which, actually was odd... Ran just didn't **do** that sort of nicety stuff), the redhead stuck a hand in to see if the water was warm enough before turning back to Omi.

"You didn't have to do that!" His hands flew to his temple as his own voice made him cringe. Gods, was he always this loud?

Ran gave him a searching look and then smirked. "I know. Trust me.. you owe me for it."

The whole morning was surreal to the youngest Weiss assassin. Painful as well... but surreal above all else. Waking up nude next to an almost equally nude Ran... The other man being nice... practically sweet!... and cuddling together on the bed so he could drink the water. Ran's attitude towards everything.

It was too much for his poor abused brain to take. Omi just closed his eyes, leaned his head against the sink, and waited for Ran to tell him what to do next. 

The rasping sound of clothe over skin could just barely be heard over the shower, but it was enough to have the bright blue eyes flying open again. He caught a tantalizing glimpse of forbidden flesh before he was being scooped up again. He was really getting tired of the way the room kept spinning around.... and the horrid feel of his stomach doing somersaults.... and his head practicing to be a drum.

Right then and there, Tsukiyono Omi swore off alcohol. "Ran?"

"Hmm?" The redhead stepped into the shower stall and gently set him on his feet though Ran was careful not to let go of Omi. 

"Next time I decide to get drunk......"

"Umhm.."

"gut me instead..... It has to be a better death than this..."

That got a chuckle.

He closed his eyes and leaned heavily against his companion letting the water slide over his body. Maybe afterwards he'd feel almost human again. The younger of the pair grunted softly as he found himself held up by sharp elbows while Ran worked the soap into a lather with both hands.

Sighing with relief as the elbows were removed, he shifted uncomfortably when his friend wrapped and arm around his waist and began a swift scrub over his body one handed. Omi winced at the rough treatment of his skin, but honestly, it felt too good to be clean for him to actually protest.

"Actually," Ran started, his tone conversational. "You did say something I wanted to ask you about."

"Mmm?" The blonde wasn't really paying much attention as the hands had gentled and moved up to work the soap into his hair. Regular hand soap wasn't good for it, but at least it would get the sticky stuff out.

"You said you loved me...." Omi's eyes flew open only to blink rapidly as they ended up filled with water and soap. The blurry figure above him quickly helped him rinse the suds away, murmuring an apology as he did. There were no words between them for a long minute before Ran continued. "Did you mean it?"

The normally stoic, almost icy assassin looked remarkably... kind and... maybe... a little uncertain? Omi chalked it up to his vision still being blurry from the soap and dropped his head so that his face was pressed against the creamy chest. 

He was silent for a while, not sure which answer would cause him the least amount of pain. To say yes and be rejected, however gently? Or to say no and live with yet another aspect of his life and his emotions hidden from everyone forever? In the end, the knowledge that he probably couldn't lie very convincingly to Abyssinian made the decision easy. Ran would be mad if he lied.

"..hai..." the affirmative was barely heard, almost lost under the noise of the shower, his voice very small. He kept his head down, not wanting to see pity fill the pretty violet eyes he loved so well.

Slim fingers gripped his chin lightly and forced him to look up.

Blue and purple met and Omi was lost. Not only was there no pity in the gaze that met his, in it's place was the last thing he expected- even with the way he'd woken up. Desire. Need. Affection.

His lips formed a small 'o' of surprise. 

Ran smiled, only a small hint that no one else probably would have noticed, but then, Omi had been paying closer attention than most to this man for a long time. He noticed. "Good." 

As declarations went, it wasn't anything spectacular. Omi wasn't even sure it counted as a declaration. Still, it was good enough for the younger man. It was more than acceptance, it was an indication that his feelings were welcome.

And that was far more than he'd dared to hope for.

The redhead leaned down and dropped a soft kiss on his lips. Omi found himself wrapped up in a tight embrace and pressed against the body he'd been lusting after for a while now.

Unfortunately, his pounding headache chose that moment to remind him of it's presence. He buried his face into Ran's neck with a whimper. Why? Why no?! 

"Omi?"

"I'm in a shower, completely naked with the man of my dreams and I can't even enjoy it properly," If his voice had sounded any more pathetic, even Ran would have been sympathetic enough to put him out of his misery.

With another chuckle, his friend reached around and turned the water off. "There's no rush... I'm sure it can be arranged to happen again." Amused violet gazed at him. "Perhaps without the alcohol next time."

Next time...

The words sounded wonderful to Omi. Absolutely Wonderful 

~*~*~

::::Author's Notes:::  
Right, so. ^_^ I hope this was okay. It was a little more angsty than the fluff from before, but hangovers are angsty sorts of things. I dedicate this to HerOphelia, Zanzou Youko, Sephy, and Kasra C for the steady pokes and pushes to keep working and get it out. I can honestly say that without ya'll, I'd have never finished this. GROUP HUG! ^_~ I hope this met your expectations. I will probably end up writing at least one more piece to conclude it a little better. But for now I'm going to concentrate on Blood-Stained Angel. Thanks everyone! -NemKess

Sake is not sweet.. not even close. White Russians, on the other hand, when you're already drinking taste quite a bit like chocolate milk. ^_^ And yes, I've had occasion to do as Omi did.... It amused my friends at least. 

Notes to Reviewers  
_Everyone_- Thank you for reading it! And especially thanks to those who took the time to review. *huggles*  
_Koori-Neko_- I know! I wish more people would write Ran/Omi.. They're just so kawaii together!  
_Sky Rat_- ^_^;; The 'above par vocabulary' comes from having a teacher who's idea of punishment for being late was to copy dictionary pages. People who know me can tell you that I couldn't be on time to save my life, so.. lol.. yeah.   
_Misty Eyes_- The idea just stemmed from wondering what would happen if he ever did get drunk and snowballed from there. Needing to cheer up a few friends is what steered it into the fluffy sappy direction it went.  
_plutoniankk_- ^_^;; Well, actually.. His VA has a very lovely singing voice.   
_Vanessa S. Quest_- Since this part explained the drunkeness, I'll just move on to the cash, okey day? ^_^ Omi didn't mean for Ran to have to pay for him, he just happened to be on stage when Ran (who didn't bother to look for money in Omi's wallet) paid the tab. If he'd been at the bar, he'd have protested and paid himself.   
_Inner Voice_- I can't really take credit for the OC. She's modeled after my friend Ashura Nagisa.   



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